FIRST ROUND
- Saskatchewan (from Vancouver): Ryan Keenan, LF, Brooklin/Quinnipiac
Son of Rush GM and coach Derek Keenan. However, that’s not the only reason Keenan would go first overall. This is a down draft year, and if the Rush didn’t hold this slot, there might not be a clear-cut number one. He posted 40 points in 13 games with the Redmen this season, and had 90 with Whitby last year over 20 contests. Now that the Rush traded away Riley Loewen, it’s almost a lock to take Keenan.
- Toronto: Challen Rogers, RT, Oakville/Stony Brook/Boston
Young transition player to rebuild the Toronto core. A physical player, Rogers got better as the season went on this summer with Oakville and he also played well in his other pro lacrosse environment in Boston. Toronto is rebuilding its aging team and Rogers is a building block piece.
- Saskatchewan (from Rochester): Michael Messenger, RD, New Westminster
Since the Rush traded John Lintz to the Vancouver Stealth, it became obvious that the defending champs would use this slot to draft a defender. Messenger is the best available at this point, and one could say the rich get richer as the Rush find a way to get even younger and deeper on the back end.
- Georgia: Doug Jamieson, G, Six Nations Jr A
Jamieson might not see a ton of time right away after the Swarm had signed free agent goaltender Mike Poulin to a three year contract this offseason. However, if Jamieson is available at this spot, the Swarm are going to take him. With Zach Higgins out of the equation, they are going to look to develop a new goalie of the future.
- Calgary: Holden Cattoni, LF, Peterborough
Calgary native, and the Riggers need a righty. It’s a perfect fit if no one gets to Cattoni first. His stock has raised throughout the summer after a dominating postseason performance with the Lakers, proving he can play with the big boys. Cattoni might contend to be the top overall pick if not for Keenan being a lock to the Rush and the other teams having different needs. Calgary did add Loewen to the mix, but Cattoni adds that depth and there’s less pressure on him as he develops.
- Rochester (from New England): Matt Hossack, RD, Brooklin
The brother of Graeme Hossack, Matt also has some serious defensive talent. He had a stellar summer with the Redmen to prove that he can play at the highest levels. He stays out of the box and can still be a physical player, and is the kind of talent who wouldn’t play like a rookie, but a veteran in his first year in the league.
- Rochester (from Colorado): Warren Hill, G, Six Nations/Syracuse
If the Knighthawks want to add a heir to Matt Vinc in net, Warren Hill is nearly a perfect fit. Jamieson isn’t going to fall to the seven spot between Saskatchewan and Georgia both getting picks, so it would make a ton of sense for the Hawks to grab Hill.
- New England (from Georgia from Buffalo): Seth Oakes, F, RF, St Regis/Albany
Oakes declared late, but in what would be considered a weaker draft, he’s an instant first rounder. He put up 26 points in eight games this summer with the St. Regis Braves in Sr B ball and had 98 points in juniors just two seasons ago. Oakes does have Junior A experience with Six Nations and is more than capable of playing at a high level. He’s probably still going to be available at eighth, and now that New England has traded into the first round, Oakes falls into their lap.
- Colorado: Bryan Cole, LT, Oakville/Maryland
Suddenly, Colorado has a first round selection, thanks to the trade that sent Adam Jones to the Rush. The transition lefty has done a nice job switching over from forward this summer and finished his season strong to make himself worthy of being a first round pick. The Mammoth don’t have a pressing need for offense, so the versatility is nice. Cole did post 53 points twice in his junior career with Burlington.
- Georgia (compensatory selection): Vaughn Harris, RF, Six Nations
With so many picks, the Swarm can kind of do what they want, and Harris would fit their system nicely. A versatile player, Harris is going to be able to find time on the floor right away because he can fit whatever the Swarm will need out of him. His stock has dropped a bit, but this feels like such a natural fit for Georgia. Harris also has limited pro experience with the Ohsweken Demons of the now demised Canadian Lacrosse League.
SECOND ROUND
- Vancouver: Kevin Orleman, G, Delta
The goaltender position has been somewhat of a struggle for the Stealth, with Tyler Richards retiring and returning and the team not being able to find an adequate backup. In a surprisingly goalie heavy draft, Vancouver has the opportunity to develop a potential future starting goaltender. He split time this summer in Jr A between Delta and Kitchener-Waterloo.
- Toronto (from Toronto via New England): Josh Currier, RF, Peterborough/Virginia Weslyan
The teammate of Cattoni in Peterborough, Currier dropped a bit but still has some serious talent. His subpar postseason play might be the best thing that could happen for the Rock who need to potentially replace Rob Hellyer on the right side, and Currier is a first round talent. He posted 45 points in 17 games with the Lakers, playing alongside Cattoni.
- Buffalo (from Rochester): Connor Sellars, RD, Brampton/Belmont Abbey
The Bandits would be thrilled if Sellars were to drop this far. If so, they kind of have no choice but to draft him, even though they could use to draft some defense. He’s a solid 6’3, 215 lbs and is going to be able to contribute to a roster right away and he can help an aging Buffalo defensive core.
- New England (from Georgia): Dan Lomas, F, Oakville/High Point
Lomas is one of the most underrated players in this draft, and he’s one of the most successful at the college level. He had back to back 80-plus point seasons in junior and held his own in Oakville. He’s a rare player in this draft that is going to get playing time probably right out of the gate, and he’s talented enough to contribute.
- Calgary: Brad Hoffman, LD, Delta/McGill
He’s dropped a bit, but he’s certainly second round talent despite a solid first couple of rounds for defenders. Hoffman supplements the Riggers’ first pick of Cattoni on offense. He’s athletic and physical, and Calgary needs to add some depth after losing a few players in the past few seasons on the backend.
- Buffalo (from New England): Leo Stouros, LD, Six Nations
Once again, Stouros dropping this far would be a steal for the Bandits and they can begin to rebuild their defense with this second round alone. He’s emerging as a solid defender and had terrific experience this summer with the Six Nations Chiefs into the Mann Cup. His confidence improved as the season went on and he’s probably capable of handling NLL competition rather early.
- Georgia (from Colorado): Adam Jay, RD, Delta
Jay is another bright spot in the draft as one of the top defenders. One of several Delta prospects this year, Jay has the best chance to get time on the turf with the Swarm, and they might be able to develop him. He’s a physical player, and could become a cornerstone defender for them.
- Buffalo: Zach Herreweyers, LF, Brampton/Loyola
Harreweyers is potentially a steal, and he is certainly a low-risk high-reward selection. Without playing much box at all in the past two years, there is the good chance that his indoor game is rusty. He scored 51 goals two years ago with Brampton, so that pure ability is there and if he stuck with the indoor game and had continued that pace, he would have been a no doubt first rounder. One way or another, he’s going to be a steal for whoever takes him this late.
- Saskatchewan: Taylor Stuart, LD, Nanaimo/Bellarmine
Stuart is a solid, stay at home defender who is not incapable of putting points on the board. He held his own in the WLA with Nanaimo where his offensive skills actually escalated. The Rush are so deep, they can just take the best players on the board whenever they draft, and at this point in the draft, Stuart is that guy.
- Georgia (compensatory selection): Kyle Whitlow, RF, Brooklin/Marquette
Though Whitlow is coming off of a tough knee injury, this is a steal for the Rush. He had a good rookie season in Brooklin and has had some solid performances at the Jr A level with Barrie. It’s not a good draft, or Whitlow might be a player to take a flyer on in the fourth round, but in a year like this, it’s worth a shot for the Swarm to grab a guy who had an 83 point season in Jr A.
- Calgary (compensatory selection): James Rahe, RF, Langley/Robert Morris
This time, the Roughnecks add a forward to their right side of the offense. He’s 6’4, 225 lbs and is going to be able to charge towards the net playing on the same side as Tyler Digby. He put up 41 points in his first full season in the WLA this summer with the Langley Thunder, and had an 80-plus point season previously in Jr A.
THIRD ROUND
- Georgia (from Vancouver): Kyle Trolley, RT, Ennismore/Notre Dame
Being a Notre Dame guy, Trolley is instantly connected to the Arlottas and the Swarm. He hasn’t played a ton of indoor in the past few years while he’s been focused on putting up numbers for the Irish, but he has shown some ability at the Sr B level in Ennismore. He had a terrific Jr A career that should translate to the higher level.
- Toronto: Kyle Jackson, LF, Cobourg/Michigan
Jackson emerged as a pure goal scorer in college with an upstart Michigan program, and he proved himself at the indoor game this summer with the Kodiaks. With 77 points with Kitchener-Waterloo Jr A two years ago.
- New England (from Georgia from Rochester): Tyler Albrecht, RF, Burlington/Loyola
The second Loyola graduate in this year’s draft, Albrecht also has not played any indoor lacrosse for the past two years. He’s committed to playing in the NLL, and since he is based out of New York, he could be a fit for the Connecticut-based Black Wolves that like drafting college talent.
- Georgia: Tanner Rennich, LD, Port Coquitlam/Robert Morris
The Swarm need defense, and Rennich is about as good as it is going to get in this round. He’s a Burnaby Lakers draft pick in the WLA and has declared early for the NLL draft. The defender posted 21 points this past season with Port Coquitlam along with 27 penalty minutes.
- Calgary: Ryan Lewis, LD, Delta
Yet another Islander who is going to get a chance in this draft. Lewis has a ton of offensive skill for a defender, and might project long term as a transition player. He posted 44 points in 2015, but skipped around to two different teams in 2016. He’s an interesting player, and it’s hard to say exactly what round he really projects for, but the Roughnecks need the versatility.
- Calgary (from New England): Matt Symes, RF, Maple Ridge/Whittier
Symes got his first look at the senior level with Maple Ridge this season and he was able to put up 22 points over 13 games. He’s a grinder and able to play around the net and does the little things like grabbing loose balls. He might even be able to crack a roster like Calgary’s if he has a good camp.
- Georgia (from Colorado): Latrell Harris, RD, St. Catharines
Harris declared early and potentially could become a dynamic player. He might be a couple of years from stepping on the turf, but the Swarm are a patient team and like to develop young talent. With 22 points in 19 games this summer, he’s shown loads of potential but is the youngest player in this draft. It shouldn’t be expected that he’ll be an impact for a couple of years at least, but with it being a weak draft year, he can be a third rounder.
- New England (from Rochester from Buffalo): Brody Eastwood, LF, Nanaimo/Stony Brook
Eastwood’s stock dropped in the past year, but he was a top projected prospect going into the end of last season. He’s played in the Mann Cup, and showed major potential in the BCJLL with Victoria. His play dropped off this year with just 16 points for the Timbermen, but before he went to Stony Brook he was putting up major point totals in junior.
- Saskatchewan: Nolan Clayton, G, Orangeville
At some point in this draft, th Rush might want to take a goalie after franchising Aaron Bold for the past two seasons and having Tyler Carlson as their backup. He had an excellent Minto Cup to cement his place as a top goalie prospect, and if it wasn’t for the other three being first rounders or close to it, Clayton might sneak into the top two rounds himself. After filling many other holes, the Rush are able to get a goalie in the third round.
- Buffalo (compensatory selection): Dan Michel, LF, Peterborough/Trent
The Bandits do need a forward on the left side to replace Chad Culp eventually, but with so many top defenders available first, they can afford to wait for their third round selection to snag Michel. He’s had some solid seasons in Peterborough and could make the jump rather quickly.
FOURTH ROUND
- Vancouver: Keegan Rittinger, RD, Coquitlam Jr A
Another defensive addition for the Stealth. He’s a big and physical defender, and he might even be projected to go a bit higher depending on needs. He’s a stay at home defender without much of a transition game, but certainly fills a role for an aging defense in Vancouver.
- New England (from Toronto): Mitch Chapman, LD, Whitby/Tusculum
Chapman had a few solid seasons with the Warriors, and the Black Wolves could be due to add another defender. He was an All-American at the high school level out of New Hampshire.
- Rochester: Korin Sunday, RD, Snake Island/Utica
Sunday is a solid stay at home defender who has won two bronze titles with the Iroquois national teams. He has a 41 point season in his Jr B career, and began playing at the Sr level last season with Snake Island. He’s able to play a transition game but is a solid defenseman.
- Georgia: Blaze Riordan, LF, Brampton/Albany/Atlanta
If the Swarm are going to take a risk, if Harris wasn’t already one, they would go after Riordan. The former Albany goaltender already plays for Atlanta’s other pro team, the Blaze of MLL, and he does have some experience at the MSL level.
- Calgary: Jordan Getz, LF, Calgary/Shorter
It’s almost a sure bet the Riggers are going to go after Alberta talent now that they have the province to themselves. Getz didn’t see a ton of time with the Mountaineers, but he did post 61 points in the season prior for Okotoks.
- New England: Dylan Hutchinson, LD, Peterborough/Queens
The lefty defender can actually put the ball in the net with a 37 point output in 2016 for the Jr Lakers. He got the call to the big club and tallied two points in a single game. He could get a look to be developed on the Wolves practice roster now that the club is practicing out of Ontario.
- Colorado: Luke Laszkiewicz, RF, Coboroug/Robert Morris
The Mammoth have so few options to bolster their team this season. That might be why they made a move for Greer as well, because they know they have to go for it this year and worry about the draft in years to come. Laszkiewicz is in this sport, and he’s had a few solid seasons with the Kodiaks organization, posting 33 points this season and 40 in the last.
- Buffalo: Drake Smith, RF, Kitchener-Waterloo/Conestonga
The brother of Buffalo’s Dhane Smith, it could be easily bet on that the Bandits are also going to give Drake a shot. He’s no slouch, either, with 59 points for the Jr A Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks this summer for a career high. At the least the righty forward will have a chance to compete for the practice roster.
- Saskatchewan: Bryce Brochu, LF, Langley/Wheeling Jesuit
There isn’t a ton of depth in this draft, but teams have to look where they can and Brochu has held his own playing in the WLA. A DII third team-All American in college lacrosse, he has proven that he can stand out. In 2014 with Okotoks, he broke out in the post season with 13 points in seven games, so he has a flair for the dramatic.
FIFTH ROUND
- Vancouver: Spencer Bromley, LF, Delta/McGill
The Burnaby Lakers draft pick in the WLA, the Islander put up a career high 61 points in 21 games this season. Bromley has shown a steady progression, and he could earn himself a practice role spot on a Stealth team that loves developing local talent.
- Toronto: Logan Holmes, LF, Windsor
A Jr B guy, Holmes has put up some insane numbers for Windsor, and this might be the best draft opportunity tier two players get to be drafted. He put up 145 points this past year after a 113 point output in the season previous.
- Rochester: Tyler Glligan, LD, Whitby/Marquette
For a young program, Marquette has produced a good amount of pro talent. With Whitlow projected to go earlier on in this draft, Gilligan also has some indoor experience with Whitby, where he posted 46 penalty minutes in his last season. He hasn’t played much indoor since he began his college career, but he has shown the talent to handle the box game and is worth a look in later rounds.
- Georgia: Hank Delisle, LT, Snake Island/Onondaga
Delisle had a good 2012 with a Bronze medal with the U19 Iroquois team and an NJCAA title with Onondaga, but that was also four years ago. Delisle last played consistently the indoor game with Snake Island of the Sr B Quebec league where he put up 18 points in five games, but that was in 2014.
- Calgary: Vincent Ricci, LF, Coquitlam/Limestone
Ricci had some dominant years in the BCJLL before making the leap to the WLA, where he has still been a regular contributor. With 16 points in seven games this past season for the Coquitlam Adanacs, Ricci has also played D2 college lacrosse with the Limestone Saints, where he has won two national championships. In 2014, he was the MVP of the title game, and in 2016 was a third-team All American in the naton.
- Colorado: Andy Campbell, LF, Orangeville/Fanshawe
After a stint in CLax, Campbell went west to play for the junior Adanacs where he posted 41 points in 19 games in 2015. This past season he moved back east where he played for an Orangeville team that was in the Minto Cup, where he put up 28 points.
- Buffalo: TJ Sanders, LF, Brampton/Penn State
The Penn State grad had some decent Jr A numbers with Barrie, but didn’t see a ton of time playing indoor beyond that, where he played for Brooklin before being traded to Brampton. He was an honorable mention All American for the Lions in 2015.
- Saskatchewan: Matt Hamilton, RF, Victoria Jr A/Providence
Another player who declared early, Hamilton has a chance to be drafted in a weaker draft class. He has posted some decent numbers in the BCJLL, including 44 points in 20 games this past season. With 147 points total in his young career, he certainly has some offensive talent and can develop on a deeper Rush team that won’t force him into their lineup.
SIXTH ROUND
- Vancouver: Dylan Lacroix, LF, Langley/Kwantlen Polytech
It’s at the point of the draft where it’s throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. Lacroix has a decent history with the Thunder’s junior A team, where he’s posted 53 and 43 points over the past two years, respectively. The Stealth love their BC players, and it’s guaranteed they’ll take one here.
- Toronto: Cooper Del Zotto, LT, Orangeville/Ohio Wesleyan
A physical defender, if the Rock take a flyer on Del Zotto, he could emerge as a force on defense if they develop him. He posted 64 penalty minutes with Orangeville in 2014.
- Rochester: Dylan Gatt, RT, St. Kitts/Bellarmine
Gatt broke out for St. Kitts in 2016 with 42 points over 19 games for a career high in Jr A. He could be worth a shot for the Knighthawks, and he played his college ball at Bellarmine, a school that has produced more than a few NLL prospects.
- Buffalo (from Georgia): Jack Fitzgerald, RF, Welland
There’s always a Jr B player or two who get a shot, and the Bandits have taken so many solid defenders that they are able to take a risk on a Jr B forward in Fitzgerald. A Jr B player has to be special to get a look in the NLL, and Fitzgerald was the 2014 OLA Jr B Western Conference MVP with 101 points.
- Calgary: Dean Fairall, LF, St Albert/Grand Canyon
One of the best players in the MCLA the past few seasons, but there hasn’t been much talent out of the MCLA to make it to the NLL. Fairall has found some success in the RMLL, especially with a 50 point season with the junior team in Sherwood Park, and last season got some time with St. Albert where he posted 21 points in eight contests. An Alberta native, he’s the kind of player the Riggers might take a late round flyer on.
- New England: Myles Jones, LT, Duke/Chesapeake
Jones has no box experience but is the exact type of player that the Black Wolves franchise has historically given a chance; little to no box experience, but an American and a household name in lacrosse. Jones was one of the hottest names in the game when he was the first overall pick to the Blaze of MLL before he was traded to the Bayhawks, where he has shown success at the pro level. He’s not likely to make an NLL club in 2017, but with a final round pick, if any team were to take him, it would be New England.
- Colorado: Josh Delves, G, Whitby
The Mammoth may as well take a flyer in a solid goalie draft by giving Delves a shot in the final round. Delves was a member of the Warriors in the 2013 Minto Cup and he’s put up some solid goals against averages.
- New England (from Buffalo): Danton Miller, LF, Six Nations Jr A/Wilfred Lautier
Miller has dominated the Jr B level and has been able to hold his own in Jr A.
- Saskatchewan: Jordan Magnuson, RD, Coquitlam
For a defender, Magnuson can score. He might even go a bit higher in the draft, but the Rush feel like a good fit.
